In 2022 we have come to a place where we are far more mindful, respectful, open and embracing of diversity than ever before. We are continuously being challenged by the discourse around equity, children’s rights, freedom of speech, and so much more.

As an oldie in ECE, I am highly conscious of the fact that we have moved on from doing things for the sake of it, tokenism and box ticking. Or have we?

• Every Christmas we roll out the dusty christmas tree and crumbling decorations.

• Every Easter, we do an egg hunt and make bunny ears for children to wear.

• And now we also “do Matariki” and “do something for Waitangi day” or “ANZAC day.”

If we have religious beliefs at home, these will naturally underpin our values and ways of being with children. We will all have personal beliefs and family traditions that subconsciously pervade who we are as teachers. All of our own childhood experiences, family values and life experiences have accumulated into who we are today. And therefore how we teach and work with young children.

At this point in my ECE career, I am really glad that we have come to a place where we are more considered, thoughtful and reflective about what we say and do with young children. In general, more than ever before, I see much more respect and care for children as capable and competent young people, with a right to a childhood filled with wonder, self directed learning and natural unfolding.

• Group treaties, where the teachers ask children “what are our rules here?” And “what are our agreements with each other?” And then every child makes a hand print with a teacher, who then cuts it out and sticks it around the treaty and lovingly displays this on the wall for parents to see.

• Easter activities – or “craptivities” as I have recently heard them called. Easter bunny ears, masks, baskets, egg hunts etc.

• At Matariki we cut out hundreds of stars so that children can paint them and hang them on a branch.

• The week before ANZAC day we make poppies in every possible creative way we can.

Now don’t get me wrong. I am not saying that we should not do these things.

But I AM suggesting that it is time for us to stop and consider how authentic these experiences are for children if they are not also wrapped in a deeper understanding of WHY these events are important to us. AND if the values and dispositional learning that our centre philosophies hold as important are also embedded throughout the every day curriculum and ways of operating outside of these annual events.

In other words, if we are suddenly talking about fairness, and creating agreements with children to be respectful of each other, and yet in our every day interactions we are not respectful with our colleagues. If we suddenly talk about the Treaty of Waitangi on the 6th February every year, but the rest of the year we do very little to honor this treaty with Māori - then are we being authentic on 6th February?

If we wish to be authentic, we need to ask ourselves

“Who am I doing this experience for?” and “Why am I doing this?” “What is our greater vision for children here?” And “will this experience build on children’s understanding of this important event and the wider social and cultural values that matter here?”

As teaching teams, we need to be having discussions together well ahead of these events to develop agreed understanding of what our shared beliefs are. Our philosophy statements and quality practice templates should give teachers clear direction as to what is valued here, and what we will and will therefore Not do in practice.

But perhaps one of the most overlooked aspects of authentic teaching practice lies in our understanding of the first teacher standard for certificated teachers. Which is to demonstrate a commitment to Te Tiriti O Waitangi. Inherent in this standard is that teachers will actively use te reo Māori, embed tikanga Māori into our daily practice, and have an understanding of Te Ao Māori. My understanding of this means that we do not simply roll out stars at Matariki, and sing “Ma is white” every now and then.

• Be using more than basic te reo Māori in every day interactions with children and whanau.

• Have a good understanding of tikanga Māori and include this in our every day routines, rituals and curriculum with tamariki.

• Be singing waiata every day, multiple times a day.

• Say karakia with tamariki for real purposes.

• Be recognising and responding to valued Māori learning dispositions, and those which are important to whanau.

• Including whanau in decision making regarding their child and the centre’s curriculum.

• Using story telling with Māori legends as a tool for literacy, and a wider understanding for tamariki of the Māori world.

• Build our understanding of our local area, and teach this to our tamariki continuously. We will know our local maunga, awa and places of significance to Māori and include reference to these in our curriculum. We may even take tamariki to visit these places regularly.

Of course, every teacher is on a journey of continuous growth and improvement. And if we are not raised as Māori, then I am not suggesting that you will be fluent or highly knowledgeable in Te Ao Māori. But I am suggesting that we must step out of our comfort zone, and make a genuine commitment to continuous growth in this teacher standard. Our dedication must be authentic, genuine and steadfast. It is no longer acceptable to hide behind an excuse of “just being a beginner” for years on end. If we are a beginner in this area of practice today, we cannot still be in this same place one or two years from now. In order for our Māori tamariki to experience success as learners, and to feel confident in their own language, culture and identity, we owe it to our tamariki and whanau to be authentic.